The Journey of the Eucharistic Revival Continues

Sherry Hayes-Peirce explores ways to experience the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

While the Eucharistic Congress ended in July, the revival's mission continues with a call to action for the entire Church. Do you believe Jesus is present in the Holy Eucharist?  

“This presence is called ‘real’—by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be ‘real’ too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God
and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present.” (Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei, quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1374)

For many, the question may be: Why does it matter if you do or don’t believe? When one believes it fosters a real relationship with our Lord. Whether you attended the Congress or not there are three things to help you learn, experience, and grow in your belief in the “real” presence of the Lord in the Eucharist.  

Learn about what the Church says about the Eucharist. The USCCB has published a five-page document chock full of Scripture references and doctrine that helps readers better understand a reality often difficult for many to understand. As human beings, we learn concepts differently. Reading a document may stimulate thought, but having an encounter stirs the soul.  

Experience the Eucharist  

Adoration is one of the most experiential things that I do. It was integral to what people experienced every night at the revival sessions. You truly felt the presence of the Lord in that place. Each of us is designed uniquely by God, and the organizers of the Congress got that! They provided four different ways to experience Adoration. In conversations with others who participated in the experience, some of the ways felt foreign or irreverent. For others, it broke them open. While some feel the presence in silence, others need prayers, and people like me need music.  

Sitting in silence and gazing upon a beautiful monstrance flooded with light touches our sense of sight and stimulates a desire to touch. A priest once told me to say, “Jesus, I am looking at Yyou. Look at me and speak to me.” Sometimes, thoughts pop into my mind to pray for someone, do something he wants me to do, or rest in him. 

A variety of prayers can be said while in Adoration: the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, or even reflections on Hallow. One of my favorites comes from part of the book 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory, and is a prayer consecrating you to the Eucharist. 

It hasn’t always been easy for me to feel the presence. When I was little, my grandmother modeled the practice of sitting in a chapel before the Blessed Sacrament. She would pray the Rosary while gazing upon our Lord in the monstrance. The look on her face reflected a connection to something that would draw tears to her eyes. As a child, I couldn’t understand the connection between them. Now, as an adult, I know that feeling of connection.   

The lyrics of songs playing in my head while in Adoration draw tears to my eyes, helping me connect with Christ in moments of fear, sadness, worry, and loneliness. The song played during Adoration at the National Eucharistic Revival was “Run to the Father,” performed by Matt Maher. It was so powerful, as I was just steps away from the monstrance, to hear and see the lyrics on big screens: “I’ll run to the Father again and again.” 

We also experience receiving the Eucharist at First Friday celebrations, which allows one to feel the presence in one's body and pray in a parish church before the Blessed Sacrament Exposed with others. It can be so powerful to have this experience at least once a month to grow in relationship with the Lord.  

Evangelize the Eucharist 

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are called and equipped to evangelize. The Eucharistic Revival now enters its “Mission” phase. God’s mission as His instrument is to “Walk With One” with whom He wants to be in a relationship. Modeling your faith is also a way for you to evangelize. 

Jesus’ most effective evangelization was through his parables. When you share what it feels like to experience the real presence in your life, it provides others with an example to long for.   

Consecrate Yourself to the Eucharist 

Last year, for Lent, I picked up the book 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory. Each day, the reflections focused on how the Eucharist serves as a living example of Christ. At the book's end is a prayer to consecrate yourself to the Eucharist.  

Learn about the many saints and blesseds who have dedicated their lives to the Eucharist: 

• Saint Tarcisius: Patron of first Communicants
• Saint Catherine of Siena: Experienced mystical graces through the Eucharist
• Saint Thomas Aquinas: Lover of the Eucharist
• Saint Anthony Mary Claret: Had an intense and miraculous devotion to the Eucharist
• Saint Dominic Salvo: Ardent adorer of the Eucharist
• Blessed Carlo Acutis: Chronicled the Eucharistic miracles electronically  

Share how you experience or evangelize the Eucharist in the comments.  

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Copyright 2024 Sherry Hayes Peirce
Images: copyright 2024 Sherry Hayes Peirce, all rights reserved.